Dishwashing machine



Feb. 22, 1955 Filed June 11, 1949 F. w. BLANCHARD 2,702,558

DISK-{WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR 4 FR EDER ICK.W.BLANCHARDA TO R N EYS Feb. 22 1955 Filed June 11, 1949 F. w. BLANCHARDDISHWASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVE NTOR REDERlCKW-BLANCI-IAR DATTOR NEYS United States Patent DISHWASHING MACIME Frederick W.Blanchard, Hampstead, Quebec, Canada Application June 11, 1949, SerialNo. 98,513

3 Claims. (Cl. 134--138) This invention relates to improvements inso-called dish washing machines employed for washing plates, cups,tumblers, flatware and similar articles and has particular reference tomachines of this type intended for household use.

The primary object of the invention is the PIOVlSlOIl of a cheap, simpleand efficient washing machine of the motorless type including a spraytube through which cleaning fluid is sprayed against the articles to becleaned while the latter are supported in a free-turning carrier whichis revolved to repeatedly carry the articles to be cleaned to and from aposition over the spray tube.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of improved articlesupporting means for rotating the articles to be cleaned to and from aposition over the spray tube, said article supporting means beingdesigned to ensure that the entire surface of each article supportedthereby is effectively exposed to the cleaning action of the spraysdelivered by the spray tube.

Other objects, characteristic features and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent from the following detailed description thereof takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is avertical sectional view of my improved washing machine takensubstantially along the section line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a half plan view of the washing machine as it appears with thecover and cup rack removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of approximately one-halfof'the machine and shows the manner in which the articles to be cleanedare arranged in the basket and rack provided for this purpose.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a detergent dispenser forming part of amachine shown in the preceding figures. In Fig. 4 the distributing valveassociated with the detergent dispenser is shown in a different positionas compared 'with the showing of said valve in Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, my improved washing machine includes an-outercasing 5 comprising a pan 6 and a removable cover 7. The upper edge ofthe circular wall 8 of pan 6 is directed outwardly and then upwardly toprovide a supporting ledge 9 for the lower edge of cover 7. r A verticalshaft 10 is centrally arranged in casing 5 and is held stationary by acasting 11 in which'the lower end of the shaft is fitted, said castingbeing rigidly secured to the bottom wall 12 of pan 6. A rack carryingtube 13 is rotatably supported on shaft 10 by fitting the lower portionof the tube over the shaft so that the upper end of the shaft isdisposed in supporting engagement with an abutment plug 14 rigidlysecured within an intermediate portion of the tube.

Tube 13 carries a basket 16 supported by the lower portion of the tubeand a cup rack 17 supported by the upper portion of the tube.

The basket 16 includes spaced radially extending plate-surroundingmembers 18 and 19 having relatively long, upwardly directed outer endportions 20 joined together by connecting ring 21. The inner ends ofmembers 18 are directed upwardly a short distance as indicated at 22 andrigidly secured to tube 13. The inner ends of members 19 are securedtogether by upper and 2,702,558 Pa t d eh- 22, 195.5

are formed with intermediate bends 30, whereby the'outer horizontalportions 31.0f said members are disposedain a higher plane than theinner horizontal portions 32. The radial members 19 are also formed withintermediate bends 34 whereby the outer'horizontal portions 35 of saidmembers 19 are disposed in a higher plane than th'e inner horizontalportions 36. The outer horizontal portions 31 and 35 of plate-supportingmembers 18 and19 are joined together by a connecting ring 37 positionedclose to the bends 30 and 34 of saidmembers.

A plate holding rack 39 is mounted on the outer horizontal portion 31 ofeach plate-supporting member 18. This rack is formed by 'a single lengthof wire bent into a plurality of reversely extending U-shaped loops toprovide a series of risers 40 extendingupwardly from-member 18, withadjacent risers spaced apart to receive therebetween the lower portionof .a plate Pas shown to advantage in Fig. 3.

The outer horizontal portion 35 of-each plate-supporting member 19 iscurved in an undulating manner as shown in Fig. 1 to provide a series ofplate spacers35a.

In the present instance I have shown a washing machine designed to washfour sets of plates P. The plates of each set may vary in size-and, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, are supported partly by one of theplate-supporting members 18 and partly by an adjacent cooperatingplatesupporting member 19. The risers 40 of the rack 39 :mounted on themember 18 supporting the plates-of one downwardly. The spacers 35a ofthe cooperating platesupporting member 1 9-serves tomaintain the spacingof the engaging plates toensure clearance for the entrance ofcleaningfluid therebetween.

It may be noted at this point that-each plate-supporting member 18 isset at an angle of from the next adjacent supporting member 18 andthat-each plate-supporting member 19 is set at an angle of 90 from thenext adjacent member '19. By virtueof this relative angular setting ofthe platesupporting members 18 and 19 each set of plates P is set at anangle of 90 fromthe adjacent set of plates, it being remembered that theplates of each set are supported by a different pairof cooperatingplate-supporting members including-a member 18 and adjacent member 19which are set at an angle of 45 from each other, as clearly shown inFig. 2. i

The fiatwareholder26 is surrounded by a series of spaced tumbler holders42 of inverted U-shape. As'here shown, each tumbler holder 42,is formedby, an upwardly directed loop of a wire 43 which rests upon andis'secured to the inner portions 32 and 36 of the plate supportingmembers 18 and 19. Tumblers T are arranged in inverted position on thetumbler holders 42. Flatware suc'h as forks, spoons, knives and the likeare arrangedin the flatware holder 26 with their handles directeddownwardly as represented by the fork F shown in Fig.3.

The cup rack 17 comprises a circular series of spaced V-spaced wires 4 5radiallydisposed about the upper portion of tube 13. The outer limbs ofwires 45 are connected together by three vertically spaced connectingrings 47 of gradually increasing diameter, the smallest ring being atthe bottom and the largest ring at the top. The inner limbs 48 of wires45 are formed with vertical extensions 49 rigidly secured to asleeve 50which encircles and-is anchored to the upper end of tube 13 by a pin 51.This type of cup rack enables cupsC to be suppoii t ed gherein in theinclined and inverted position'shown II). 1g.

Pan 6 of casing 5 is provided with a side opening 52 through which ahorizontal spray tube 53 extends radially into the pan beneath thebasket 16. The inner end of tube 53 is closed by a plug 54 and issupported in a position close to shaft 19 by a casting 55 forming partof the shaft-supporting casting 11. Tube 53 is provided with sprayopenings 56 through which sprays of fluid supplied to the tube aredirected upwardly against the articles contained in basket 16 and cuprack 17. In

Fig. 3 the openings 56 0f spray tube 53 are showrn/ M tending verticallythrough the upper wallof the tub it will be understoodthatthese'openingsmayibe-inc holder 26.

.shaft so that all the articles to be cleaned will be repeatedly rotatedto and from a position shown above the spray tube.

The outer end of tube 53 is fitted in the discharge passage 60 of avalve casing 61 forming part of a detergent dlspenser 62 includes adetergent container or reservoir 63 mounted on valve casing 61 andprovided with a filling opening 64 closed by a removable cap 65. Thedischarge passage 60 of valve casing 61 is in open communication withthe lower end of a tube 66 extending upwardly within the detergentcontainer 63 to a point just below filling opening 64. Tube 66 providesa connecting passage or conduit through which the aqueous detergentsolution or hot rinsing water flows from the upper end of detergentcontainer 63 directly to outlet passage 60 of valve casing 61 and thenceinto the outer end of spray tube 53.

Valve casing 61 is also provided with an inlet passage 68 to which hotwater is delivered by a flexible hose or conduit 69 (Fig. 2) from a hotwater tap or other suitable source of hot water under pressure. Inletpassage 68 of valve casing 61 is connected to outlet passage 60 througha restricted port 70 and to the bottom of detergent container 63 througha restricted port 71. A sleeve type distributing valve 72 is arranged inthe inlet passage 68 of valve casing 61 and is provided with ports 73and 74, the port 74 being somewhat smaller than the port 73.

The machine described herein is preferably operated in the followingmanner: The plates and flatware to be cleaned are arranged in the basket16 as illustrated in Fig. 3 and, as previously described, any tumblersto be cleaned are arranged in an inverted position on the tumblerholders 42 and the cups to be cleaned are arranged in the cup rack 17 asalso shown in Fig. 3. A suitable amount of detergent, preferably in adry form, is deposited in the detergent container 63 of detergentdispenser 62 through filling opening 64 which is then closed by cap 65.The conduit 69 is connected to a hot water tap or other suitable sourceof hot water under pressure and valve 72 is turned to the position shownin Fig. 3 by means of valve handle 76. In this position of valve 72 theport 71 leading to detergent container 63 is closed oif but the inletpassage 68 and outlet passage 60 of valve casing 61 are placed incommunication with each other by reason of the fact that the valve port73 is disposed in registration with the valve casing port 76. It willthus be seen that, in this position of valve 72, all the hot watersupplied to valve casing 61 by supply conduit 69 is delivered directlyto spray tube 53 and is sprayed upwardly through the spray openings 56to heat the articles in the basket 16 and cup rack 17 and to removecoarse dirt therefrom. The hot water thus sprayed upwardly through theopenings 56 of spray tube 53 impinges on the solid surfaces of theplates P, the inside surfaces of any inverted tumblers arranged on thetumbler holders 42 and on the flatware arranged in the flatware Owing tothe inclination of the plates P the hot water glances off of theseplates and into the inverted cups C arranged in the rack 17 to wash theinner surfaces of the cups. Other surfaces of the plates, tumblers andcups are washed by hot water deflected from the surfaces of plates P andfrom the inner, top and side surfaces of casing cover 7. After thedishes have been heated and cleaned of coarse dirt by this preliminaryhot water treatment, the valve 72 is operated to the position shown inFig. 4 by means of the valve handle 76. In this second position of valve72 valve ports 73 is disposed in registration with the valve casing port71 and valve port 74 is disposed in registration with valve casing port70. By virtue of this positioning of valve 72 the water supplied to theinlet passage 68 of valve casing 61 by supply conduit 69 is divided intotwo separate streams. One stream flows directly from inlet passage 68 tooutlet passage 60 of valve casing 61 through valve port 74. The secondstream is delivered to detergent container 63 through valve port 73 andvalve casing port 71 and is mixed with the detergent in said containerto form an aqueous detergent solution which flows outwardly through tube66 into the valve casing outlet passage 60 where it is mixed with thefirst stream of hot water as the latter enters the outer end of spraytube 56. In this case the spray tube is supplied with a hot detergentsolution which is sprayed upwardly through the openings 56 to eifect afurther cleaning of the plates and other articles arranged in the basket16 and cup rack 17. The valve 72 is left in the position shown in Fig. 4for a suitable period of time after the detergent in container 63 hasbeen exhausted so that immediately following exhaustion of thedetergent, clean hot rinsing water is supplied to the tube 53 bothdirectly from the inlet passage 68 of valve casing 61 and by way of thedetergent container 63. It will thus be seen that etfective rinsing ofthe articles to be cleaned with hot water following exhaustion of thedetergent solution occurs automatically and without the necessity ofmanipulating the valve 72.

When the machine is in operation the rack carrying tube 13 together withthe basket 16 and cup rack 17 are revolved so that all the articles tobe cleaned are repeatedly rotated to and from a position over spray tube53. This may be accomplished, as previously stated, by inclining thespray openings 56 of tube 53 so that the impact of the fluid to theseopenings against the plates P will have the effect of rotating basket16, tube 13 and cup rack 17.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodimentand mode of operation of my improved washing machine, it will beunderstood that various modifications may be resorted to within thescope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Forexample, in the case of a large machine two or more spray tubes may beprovided and may be used independently or simultaneously depending onthe number of plates or other articles placed in the machine. It is alsopossible to operate the machine satisfactorily without employing thevalve 72 since this merely involves elimination of the preliminary hotwater spraying which may not be essential in all cases. In the absenceof valve 72 the choke effect of the valve casing passage 70 Will causethe hot water supplied to valve casing inlet passage 68 to be dividedinto separate streams in the same manner as previously described, onestream being routed directly from the valve casing 61 to spray pipe 53and the other stream being routed from the valve casing to the spraypipe through the detergent chamber 63. In this latter instance thearticles to be cleaned are initially sprayed with the hot detergentcleaning solution and then, upon exhaustion of the detergent, areautomatically sprayed with clean hot rinsing water which is supplied tothe spray tube from the valve casing 61 both directly and by way of thedetergent container 63.

I claim:

1. In a dish washing machine of the character described, an outercasing, an article carrier rotatably mounted in said casing to rotateabout a vertical axis, said article carrier including a centralrotatable memher, a plurality of pairs of plate-supporting armsextending radially outwardly from said central member so that theplate-supporting members of each pair are adapted to'conjointly supporta plurality of plates on edge, one member of each pair ofplate-supporting arms being provided with risers extending upwardlytherefrom and spaced apart to receive the plates therebetween, a flat:

ware holder comprising a tubular body portion encircling'q said centralrotatable member and provided with a foraminous bottom, said flatwareholder being supported by the inner portions of said plate-supportingmembers, and a plurality of tumbler supports spaced around the flatwareholder and mounted on portions of the plate-supporting members locatedbetween the flatware holder and the plate supporting risers of saidplate-supporting members.

2. A dish washing machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the tumblersupports are formed by upwardly directed loops of a single wireextending in circular fashion around the flatware holder.

3. A dish washing machine comprising a casing and an article carrierrotatably mounted in the casing to rotate about a vertical axis, saidarticle carrier including a central rotatable member, a cup-supportingrack carried by the upper portion of said rotatable member forsupporting a plurality of cups in an inverted position, saidcup-supporting rack comprising a series of V- shaped wires radiallydisposed about the upper portion of said rotatable member, each of saidwires presenting an inner limb inclining downwardly and outwardly fromsaid rotatable member and an outer limb inclining upwardly and outwardlyfrom the lower end of the inner limb, the outer limb of said V-shapedwires serving to support the cups in said inverted position with thecentral axes of the cups inclining downwardly and outwardly from saidrotatable member and vertically spaced rings extending around and joinedto the outer limbs of said V-shaped wires.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ZeinerDec. 11, Hopkins Nov. 22, Bergstrom Jan. 6, Turman Sept. 8, Ellington eta1. May 22, Tafel May 5, Forsyth Dec. 1, Le Gore June 3, Abrams Aug. 26,

